


Terms

by sceawere



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Bickering, Developing Relationship, Dysfunctional Family, Emotions, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, They make it up in the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 09:32:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15240450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sceawere/pseuds/sceawere
Summary: Written as a request. Hvitserk is in an arranged marriage and it's...having some issues."The hard thing about your husband’s mistress also being his sister-in-law (apart from the obvious) was that there was no easy way to exclude her from family dinners".





	Terms

The hard thing about your husband’s mistress also being his sister-in-law (apart from the obvious) was that there was no easy way to exclude her from family dinners.

Ubbe had the forethought to sit down-table from you but that meant sitting opposite from Ivar, which was only marginally an improvement on the alternative. He sat twirling his cup around, smirking across at you. You’d made it very clear that you weren’t up for playing tonight. Not that it mattered to your new brother.

He quirked his expression and you couldn’t help but hide your smile behind your own cup this time. The months you’d been here had been eventful, but also amusing, thanks to Ivar. If you had to suffer through this, at least there was distraction to be had. Ivar had made sure to exploit every possible joke regarding your situation, but you gave as good as you got, thankful for the outlet for your spite. He wasn’t keen on you when you first arrived but you seemed to have proved yourself and the two of you had slipped into an odd sort of friendship.

Things with your husband hadn’t progressed in the same way. The union was purely political and neither had settled into it completely. It still felt like there was a wall between you at times.

The potential was there. If you’d met otherwise and let it develop naturally, perhaps, but the way you’d been forced together had soured it.  Like planting a seed too early and hoping it would thrive in the same way. There wasn’t enough light yet. Not nearly enough. But the rays were beginning to show, somewhat. You enjoyed each other, definitely. But it wasn’t love. It ebbed and flowed, like waves on the shore. Sometimes you were right there beside each other, feeling like things had finally clicked. And then she returned. And the tide went out.

She had the good grace to tuck her head down, avoiding your gaze. You thanked her for at least having that shame and rolled your eyes over to the wall, letting them glaze over as you swallowed your wine.

It wasn’t easy hating her. It should have been. The easiest thing. But there was always that voice in your head, the reminder that you were the outsider here, not her. You’d walked into their happiness and broken it up, not the other way around. You remembered the glares you’d catch your grandmother giving your mother, always reminding her silently that she wasn’t welcome. You always promised yourself you wouldn’t be that women. But it was easier to say than do, easier to brush away emotions that were only hypothetical. This wasn’t. This was pain.

None of you had chosen this, you could only work out the best way to navigate through it. But being rational didn’t erase your emotions. So you refilled your cup, and settled back in your seat.

-

Hvitserk sprawled out on the bed, watching you comb out your hair. His reflection rippled in the polished metal like drops on a lake, swimming out around you in the flickering light.

“Stop smirking” you sighed, fanning your hair out.

“You like my smirk” he replied, making you roll your eyes. You turned over your shoulder, fingers wrapping around the edge of the stool as you bent forward a little.

“I hate your smirk” you replied mockingly, giving him one of your own.

He ran his tongue over to the edge of his mouth, pushing himself up to sitting.

“Then come take it off me”

You let your smirk drop, turning back around. You weren’t in the mood to play tonight. You heard him sigh behind you, the covers rustling as he skidded his way over to the end of the bed. Once he made his way over, he took the cord from your hand and continued the braid you’d began on one side.

“I hate having her at the table” you whispered, head bowed as he worked the strands around your ear.

“I know,” he replied, continuing with his work “she’s my brother’s wife – I can’t ask him to exclude her”

“You could. You won’t” you clarified, continuing in a whisper “and you shouldn’t”

“No, because she’s my brother’s wife” he repeated.

“That’s not all she is” you added as he tied off the braid. He reached over and took another cord, shifting to the other side of you. He bent one knee against your side, sitting across, with the other up against your back. You traced the scar on his knee, finger circling and surrounding.

“Hvitserk?” you questioned when he didn’t reply. He tied off the braid, dropping his forehead to your shoulder. You turned your head, nose pressed on the back of his scalp. You weaved your own fingers through his braid, scratching lightly at his scalp. These were the moments you treasured. The ones when he felt truly yours.

“I’m not with her anymore” he replied, annoyed.

“Bullshit, don’t insult me” you spat back, unwrapping yourself from him. He grabbed your wrist as you tried to turn away, pulling you back to face him.

“I’m not lying” he insisted and you tilted your head, staring him down.

“I see you. I see you. You might not be fucking her anymore but you’re damn sure not being truly faithful. And you don’t even have the courtesy to pretend otherwise, right in front of me!” you emphasised and he looked away, coming back when you hummed to him, expecting an answer.

“I don’t know what you want from me” he laughed and you lifted your legs, tucking them under you on the stool. Hvitserk lifted one side of your shift as it tangled, moving it free for you. He took the chance to slide his hand under and toy at your thigh when you settled, shifting the two of you a little closer.

“I want my husband to fucking act like it!” he smirked at your rancour and you slammed your hands against his chest, knocking him back to the floor. You followed him down, crawling over his chest as you loomed over him.

“I want my husband, to be mine! I want to trust you, I want you to trust me. I want us to respect each other, and care for each other, and…be great. I want us to be great, Hvitserk! I want to be a fucking queen, to be at your side. And I want…to maybe just maybe actually fall in love with you. And to feel like a family”

You sat up, dragging your hands over his chest as you settled back. You took a deep breath as he moved up onto his elbows, looking at you like he never had before. You decided to get everything out before your bravery failed you, or more like the anger fuelling it dissipated and left you with just you vulnerability.

“I never expected you to fall madly in love me on sight – I’m not so fickle as to believe that this was going to be…I thought we could settle into each other. I thought we could be like the old couples you see at gatherings, that we could grow into the spaces around each other” you smiled sadly, letting your eyes fall out of focus “I at least thought you could afford me the respect I deserve. As a princess in my own right, and as your wife, and as the woman who will be mother to your children”

You began to stand, bitterness creeping back into your voice.

“But you can’t even give me that so how can we ever be anything but this”

You stormed over to the bed, crashing down onto it, burying your face as deep into the fur as it would go without becoming part of it. It was Hvitserk’s turn to crawl over you, pressing kisses up the path of your arm, your shoulder, your neck. He settled his nose against your ear, pausing for a few moments.

When you didn’t move he flopped next to you, moving his arm up and over to frame your head. You gave it a few more moments before you relented, bending your neck so he could slip it under. You shuffled into his side, his fingers tracing over the curve of your hip.

“I think I’m pregnant” you muttered, suddenly exhausted. Hvitserk’s finger trailed down over your stomach, the hand that lay against your back scooping you in.

“I know”

You scowled, lifting your head.

“How could you possibly know?”

“I notice things!” he replied, annoyed that you’d assumed otherwise “I do care about you, whatever you think”

You settled back against his shoulder, crossing your arm across your chest to wind your fingers into the ones tapping at your waist. He danced his fingertips against your knuckles, pressing the pads into the hollows, grasping to keep you close.

“I do care about you” he repeated, lips tracing over your forehead.

“I don’t want her to…they’re ours. I’m their mother” you emphasised.

“Of course they’ll be ours. She’d never-“he paused “I haven’t been with her. Not since us. Believe me or don’t”

“Have you kissed her?” you questioned and he didn’t reply, still answering himself in the absence of one “that’s still betraying my trust”

“It was early on. I didn’t…” he whined to himself, muttering “I didn’t care about you yet”

You blew out a puff of air, not quite a scoff.

“I appreciate your honesty” you snarked.

“It’s what you wanted from me” he pointed out and you hummed. You felt his mouth move against your head and braced yourself for whatever stupid comment was coming.

“You’re fucking beautiful when you’re angry” you pushed up onto your elbow, staring down at him.

“That’s surprisingly sweet from you. I thought you’d say something-“you pushed your lower lip out, moving your head around, looking for the words “more perverted, actually”.

He gripped your hips, rolling you up onto him and you laughed. You braced your hands against his chest as he rolled his hips against you.

“I’ve got to get you angry more often”

“There he is. That’s the husband I know” you smiled down at him. He traced his hands up and over your stomach. You leant back a little, covering his hands with yours.

“I never meant to hurt you. I didn’t think that…I didn’t think” he finished.

“No, well, it’s not your strong suit. Don’t worry, you got that pretty face instead!” you shrugged and he lifted his leg a little to jolt you, smirking at your giggle.

“We’ll eat alone tomorrow. As a family” he suggested and you swallowed.

“Don’t exclude them for me – that’s not what I want. It’s not me or them, I just-“

“It’s not forever. Just…tomorrow. Just for a while. You’re right, we need to act like a family if we’re going to be one. I need to start putting more effort into this” he explained and you smiled down at him, nodding. He shifted his hands back to your hips, sitting up, and pulling you to meet his chest. He wrapped his arms up around your back as you met your foreheads. You hummed, rolling your forehead against his.

“I’d like that. I like this” you lifted to peck a kiss, melting into another, and another.

“I’m not used to this yet, hmm? Being someone’s husband. I’m going to need to practice” he breathed, tracing his lips against yours.

“Because I came into this with so much experience! Practice faster. Practice a lot” you replied, lifting your brows to him. He laughed, nodding back to you, “Because I need you, Hvitserk”

He lifted his eyes to yours as you got serious, hands tracing your spine.

“And I’m going to be selfish and tell you not to be anymore, because I need you. We do. All of you” you continued, nodding down to your stomach.

“I’m here” he replied “I’m trying. Walking away as if nothing happened and pretending was never going to work. I needed to…get her out of my system. I don’t know how to-” he trailed off, his feelings moving ahead of his thoughts.

You lifted your hand to play at his braid again, sighing. You let a deep breath cleanse through your lungs, settling down against him.

“We’ll learn together?” you posed.

“Together” he agreed, rocking you against him. His smirk grew after a few moments and you stared down at him.

“Say it” you deadpanned, waiting.

“There’s something else we could do together that would-“

“Hvitserk! By all the Gods, I swear-” he cut you off, rolling you over, pressing you into the furs.

“Be quiet and love me, wife” he teased, stealing another kiss.

“You’re going to have to pick one of those options because unfortunately, they’re incompatible,” you snarked as he trailed kisses down to your stomach “and don’t ever tell me to be quiet again”

He rolled his eyes up to yours as he bit into your hip.

“You getting angry again?”

Damn that smirk.


End file.
